The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-12-09
SECRETS OF THE SCAFP0LD.

saT6 00a TStHsSIs Astounding S@1Ps1s-
rnent n It's Appalling Results,
The prisoner wa one of those who
donot play at cards; neither fear nor
hope was d~iscernible in his face. He
was thirty-four years of age, dark, Of
middle height and very well built; his
hair on his temples was commencing
to turn slightly gray; his eyes were
nervous, rarely opened to their full ex-
tent; his forehead bespoke large mean
ing powers; his speech was low and
quick; his hands leaden-coIored; his
physiognomy had the stiff expression Of
a man formally precise in his utter
ssees ! / Is manners implied studied =e
fnement. Nevertheless, M. de la Pom
merals had been condemned to suffer
the extreme penalty under articles 301
and 800 of the penal code for having
administered fatal doses Of digitalis to
alady Of his acquaintance p~remeditat-
edly and through motives of avarice.
Suddenly the sound Of rifle-butts
echoed on the pavement Of the corridor;
the turning lock squeaked harshly the
door halted opened; there was a gIim-
mering of bayonets in the penumbra
without, and M. Beauquesne, director
OF La Roquette, appeared upon the
threshold accompanied by q visitor,
whom M. de la Pommerais recognized
at one glance as the llustrious sur
geon, Armand Velpeau, The two
colleagues were left alone, face to face.
IN. de la Pommerais, " said DR.. Vel
peau, "your pulse reveals arare GOODNESS
and firmness of character. The mission
I have undertaken land which I trust
will be kept secret has for its object a
sort of offer which, even though ad.
dressed to a physician of your energy
to a mind well tempered in the posi-
tive convictions of our science and Who'll
ly free from the fantastic dread of death
might seem either criminally extrava-
giant or criminally derisive. But we
know each other, Ibelieye, and you will
therefore take my proposition into seri-
u consideration, however singular it
may seem toyou at first"
"You have all my attention, sir, re-
piled La Pommerais.
"You are certainly well aware" CON
tinued Velpeau, 'that one of the most
interesting question of modern physi-
ology is whether the least CLEAN of
memory, of thought, of veritable sensi-
bility, persists in the brain of man after
the severing of the head from the body"
At this unexpected overture the con-
demned prisoner started; then, recoy-
ering his calmness, replied:
"Well, Just as you came in, Doctor,
/ happened to be discussing that very
problem with MYSELF problem which
now, Of course, mas a two-fold interest
for me-"
"You are doubtless familiar with all
the works which have been written mp
on this subject from the time OF Soem-
mering, Sue, Sedillyt and Bichat to
our own days?"
"Yes; / have, moreover, attended n
of your classes Of dissection, when you
lectured upon the remains of an exc
cuted criminal"
"Ahi Then to the pointl Have you
any precise knowledge from the surgi-
cal point Of view concerning the guillo-
tine?"
"No, sir. /"
II have scrupulously studied the ap-
paratus myself to-day" continued Vel
las: nth sunarlatiye GOODNESS. land I
can bear witness that it is a perfect in
strument. The knife-blade, acting at
once like a wedge, q scythe and a
weight, ~intersects the patients neck
bevel-wise in one-third Of a second.
The decapited man can feel no more
pain from this lightning shock than a
soldier can feel for the moment in bat
tie when his arm is carried away by a.
round shot. Sensation is dull and
obscure by reason Of lack Of time to
feel"
.But perhaps there is the after-pain
the quick Of the two wounds Was
il not Julia F~ontenelle who asked if
this very rapidity Of decapitation has
not more painful consequences than
beheading with a sword or ax?"
ssBerard did summary Justice to the
qh~estion,n replied Velpeau. CAS- for
me. I have the firm conviction-based
upon a hundred experiences and
upon general obseryations-that in
staneous ablation ofthe head as instantly
produces the most absolute an@stheside
insensibility. Even the syncope itself.
produced 10y the loss Of four or five lit
ers Of blood which bursts from the ves-
sells (often with q force of circular pro-
iection Of q meter In diameter), ought
sufficiently to convince the most timid
person Of the fact. AS for the uncon-
scious movements of the Heshy mechan-
ism, too suddenly checked in its pro-
cessss. these nc more constitute an in
dication than the quiEeringo Of an ampu-
tated Leg OF which the muscles and
nerves still contact, although there Is
ne more pain from il. / cay that the
nervous fever of uncertainty, the solem-
nifty Of the last preparations and the
start OF the morning awakening are the
only positive sufferings endured. The
ampntation must be impreceptible;